Strawberries and Milk
by merise
Summary: I’m sure the whole world heard my heart drop when Daichi kissed her out of the blue. Or maybe that was my spoon? Because that dropped too. AU, Sora/Akane.
1. Akane: Too Many Changes

Author's Note: Because I was unsatisfied with the overly cheesy nature of Kitchen Princess, I decided to rewrite the plot from when Daichi kisses Najika. In this version, there's less of Najika, Akane witnessed Daichi kissing Najika, Sora never dies, there's more of Akane, and Seiya (as much as I love him) doesn't exist, or at least isn't part of the story. It's written from a switch of Akane and Sora's perspective (I like to believe that Sora wasn't an annoyingly perfect saint, and two-faced cold-hearted jerk Daichi thought he was). Some of the dialogue is directly from the book.

Please remember that this is my interpretation of things- you may have gotten a different impression from some of the characters.

Strawberries and Milk

_Akane_

"She's blushing." Sora said in amusement. I felt myself coloring even more to the roots of my hair. Well of course I was blushing! After all of the mean things I had done to Najika, I didn't expect her to consider me as a _friend_. I was touched, honestly.

"Sora! Didn't you come to congratulate Najika!?" I turned on him, anxiously trying to make my color less high and bright.

"Oh that's right, I almost forgot." Sora said as he pulled out a bundle of roses, handing them the kid-chef. "Here you go, Najika."

He kissed on briefly on the forehead, and I stifled a giggle as she blushed even more than I had been.

"Well then, good luck in the next round!" I said, holding up the cup in a toast, but something outside the window caught her eye.

"Daichi…?" She said in wonder as I checked out the window. Yup, it was unmistakably him, though I wondered why he wasn't stopping by. "I'm going to tell him the good news, since he helped me with the dessert, after all!"

She handed me the roses to put in a vase for her before leaving the diner. As I did so, I opened the window, leaning on the sill and out where Najika had just caught up with Daichi.

"Does it bother you that she's out there with him?" Sora asked as he joined me. My blush started to rise again and I turned away from him with a determined demeanor.

"Of course not. I know she wouldn't do that to me." I almost snapped.

"Sure she wouldn't, but what about him and his feelings?" He questioned. I looked at him, for a moment, but his face was blank, emotionless, and it had always been times like this where I thought that Sora had more to hide than any of us.

He didn't say anything else as I continued to watch Najika and Daichi. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Daichi seemed to be snubbing her. Why? I'm sure the whole world heard my heart drop when he kissed her out of the blue.

Or maybe that was my spoon? Because that dropped too.

"I- was that- I- I'm going to go." I finally muttered. "Tell Najika the dessert was amazing, and I'll talk to her in class."

"Akane, she's going to be upset if you don't finish it." Sora said quietly. I flinched, but I knew it was true. He picked up the spoon I had dropped and gave me one from an outer pocket, one of the Seika spoons.

I grimaced and almost slowly, went back down to my seat. Sora had placed my dropped spoon in the sink, and was now back at the window, looking out at the campus. A burning question that bothered me from the first day Najika came here troubled my mind.

"Do you think Daichi likes Najika?" I asked Sora's back. He stayed silent, as if he didn't know what to say, and his silence was my answer. "Right, of course he does. He's never given any girl this much interest romantically before. That's why he bought her that watch."

The door opened and Najika walked back in, her face red with embarrassment and her actions squirrelly. I was almost mad at Sora for making me stay. I felt like I had lost against Najika, and the deep jealous part of me still burned. I finally finished the last jelly and tucked the spoon into the pocket of my skirt.

"Thank you, Najika, that was great. I've got to go… to go… prepare for a job. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Oh! You sure you can't stay?" Najika asked, temporarily pulled out of her trance. Her face fell a little and I felt a lurch in my stomach that had nothing to do with the food. I nodded and grabbed my bag.

"Bye." I said shortly, not even waiting to hear her reply.

I stood in the parking lot for a bit before remembering that my mom was out today. Not that that was surprising. I turned towards home, and the sunny day seemed to be mocking the way I felt inside.

Stupid Daichi and his feelings for Najika. Stupid Sora for pointing them out. Stupid Najika for taking away the guy that meant the most to me.

No, that was being mean, she knew how I felt and I know how she feels about Sora. So why did it still feel unfair? But I didn't want to be the overly bitter jealous pathetic mean girl that I used to be.

_Life is unfair_… I thought as I slammed the door of my house behind me. Of course, it was empty and the echo just seemed to amplify itself.

The truth is, I've always liked Daichi. Always. And I knew from the beginning that I was so much different from Najika. And it made me jealous. She may not have had parents, but she grew up with a warm atmosphere and from the stories that Sora and Daichi told me, it was a very homey place.

Here, it's just my mom and me. I don't know what happened to my dad. Maybe he never wanted me, and maybe he died before I was born, but it's only ever been the two of us, except my grandmother, whose death left the house cold.

I've always wished I could go back to that time. When Sora and Daichi actually talked civilly to each other, when they were practically inseparable. I always thought that they'd be close forever, but that summer Sora went with his father to Hokkaido, it was quiet. When they came back, Sora and Daichi's mother was dead. I don't know what happened exactly, but that summer was a grieving summer for everyone. Sora and Daichi drifted apart, especially when their father remarried and alongside that, my grandmother died.

I couldn't do anything to bridge them back together, no matter how much I tried. There was just a silence there that I couldn't break, and the worst part is, I didn't know how to fix everything. We all just drifted apart.

That was also the summer that Daichi quit basketball. He had qualified for nationals, which is why he didn't go to Hokkaido, and his mom stayed with him. He lost though, because his mother had died right before his game. Maybe he linked doing well in basketball with the death of someone he cared, because he quit after that. I know he still loves it though, because on the rare occasion that I stay late, I see him practicing out there. I never know what to say though, so I just stay there, watching before heading out.

Sometimes I see Sora checking up on him too. Just for a moment, but after they met Najika, a little longer. I always wonder why I couldn't have been the one to bring them closer, but I guess that as long as they push themselves to be civil with each other, then it's okay.

Maybe I'm stuck in the past, but things have been changing, too much and too fast.


	2. Sora: The Perfect Prince

Author's Note: Goodness, I just reread my draft- I sure made Sora a jerk in this first chapter. And he sure doesn't think highly of himself either. Better than the personality-less saint-like character than he was though. Bonus points if you know the name of the Shakespeare play I have Sora refer to.

This chapter is slightly shorter than Akane's- this is the first time I've written anything in Sora's perspective, even if it is my own version of Sora- I usually write Akane/Seiya stuff, so this is pretty new. I'm trying not to make Sora too much like Seiya, since that would defeat the purpose of keeping Sora alive.

There's not really much plot development in this chapter anyways- just introduction to a side of Sora that should have existed, and hopefully readers will grow to love.

I honestly don't know how long the whole story is going to be- I have the climax and end planned out already, but the question is the transition there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kitchen Princess, or its characters. This has not happened in the actual manga, just a spin on what would have happened had Sora not died and been less of a milk-livered personality-less drone.

Strawberries and Milk

_Sora_

I've always held my tongue because I was required to. I've always done what my father required of me because I'm the 'good son'. I've always befriended everyone because it was an advantage for my father. I'm deceitful and manipulative, and quite frankly, what Daichi said about me is true- that I'm a two-faced cold-hearted and I'm using Najika for my gain. I also harbor my secrets- no one really knows the real Sora, just the person they think is Sora, the perfect prince of a student council president.

The truth is, I've held something to myself that I've never told anyone- a secret that brought me to first resent my brother.

When I was 8, I was convinced that my little brother killed my mother.

Not on purpose, maybe. But he was just so delusional into thinking that she'd be okay, he didn't call us in Hokkaido when she was getting sicker and sicker.

The truth is, sometimes I think that he's the reason for a lot of grief in my life. His stubbornness is why we're not a family. He's the one that made the cloud of grief over my stepmother, who isn't a bad person. She's not my mother, and no one will ever replace her, but she is trying and for that alone, I admire her. It's not easy to deal with one of your stepkids refusing to acknowledge you.

He's also the one that captured the heart of the girl I like.

It's obvious Akane likes him. Why else would she go through the whole watch thing if she didn't? Maybe that's part of the reason I like her- she has passion and she's more stubborn than any girl you'll meet. She isn't without her faults- who is? But she has the drive to give a hundred and ten percent in everything she does, and there aren't many girls like her.

Maybe I'm being mean to my brother. It's not his fault Akane likes him. He was just a good friend to her. You see, Akane and Daichi were also closer friends. Maybe because they were the same age, but Daichi and I both knew that Akane didn't get along very well with her mother. We saw her crying multiple times, and I never knew how to comfort her. Daichi, who was warm and friendly at the time, did.

I can't help but envy him. He may not be able to sort out his own feelings by himself, but he knows his mind, he's not afraid to say what he's feeling, making himself my polar opposite. No one's been able to read me, except one girl, and my brother's just out there, like an open book. To everyone, Daichi is dark, and surly, but in an endearingly sweet way. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

To everyone, I'm the white prince, light, compassionate, caring- of course, by now, you've probably realized I'm not really all that sweet. I get jealous, and all of my feelings are bottled up, so no one can take them and use them against me.

It's easy to persuade girls to do what you want, and even easier to charm them. A smile, a kind word, nice gestures... I got instructions from my dad to convince Najika to join the Confectionary Contest and she was so easy to manipulate, I almost felt a little bad for her.

The thing I never told my father was that I had my own reasons for trying to get Najika on my side. It was obvious from the beginning that Daichi liked her, even if he hadn't figured it out yet, and me getting Najika to like me was just my little revenge on my brother.

I can sincerely say that I felt bad for Akane when she saw Daichi kissing Najika. I watched the scene, almost amused- I almost predicted something like this happening, since Daichi can be rash.

I can also sincerely say that I was a bit happy, just because it meant that I had more of a chance. Of course, I also felt guilty, after I saw her face. There was just such a flurry of emotions in her face that you just couldn't be sure of what would happen when Najika walked back in. Akane's façade reminded me of my own- no wonder I liked her so much. No wonder Akane liked Daichi so much. What was the phrase again? Opposites attract?

Back to my brother and me- any hope of us reconciling really, has been thrown out the window by the messed up love square that we have. I like Akane, Akane likes Daichi, Daichi likes Najika, Najika likes me… It's pretty much like that Shakespearian comedy, except I have no clue how our own little drama is going to end.


	3. Akane: Saying Hello

Author's Note: A bit of Sora and Akane interaction. This part is probably going to be the one I struggle over the most. I have point A and point B down, but I need to write the stuff in the middle. I've already written out a bunch of the later scenes, but I'm working on the transition which isn't going well, but I should get there soon.

I think part of the reason I'm having so much trouble is because it's hard for me to write in my version of Sora's perspective and staying constant. I'll figure it out soon though. First, I need to figure out my Sora.

_Akane_

"Okay, Akane, come on, you can do this. Just walk in there and say, 'Good morning, Najika! I'm sorry I had to leave so soon yesterday, I saw you and Daich kissing and I- ugh, that's not going to work." I sighed as I sank against the wall outside the classroom.

Half the first period was already over, and I was still, standing outside the door, wondering what to do, how to greet Najika and Daichi. Worst of all, I sat right in between the both of them, which made me wonder if irony liked playing tricks of me. Of course Kishida had to be in between Kazami and Kitazawa. _Of course_.

"I'm such a coward." I said, bring my legs in and burying my face into my knees.

"You're not a coward, Akane. You've just had some… complicated things happen to you." A voice said softly. I looked up to see Sora, holding a file of papers, kneeling down to talk to me. "Don't feel like going to class?"

I shook my head and he sat down next to me.

"Well, maybe that's something you need to do every once in a while." He replied quietly. "Do you want to talk? Or just sit here? Unless you wanted to be alone…"

"No, please, stay." I said quickly and he nodded, with a hint of a smile on his face. "You know, it's weird. I'm not even mad at Najika for making Daichi fall in love with her. I'm not even mad at Daichi. It's just… I don't know. I can't really feel anything- But I still don't know how to face either."

There was a thick silence between us, which made me anxious and nervous at the same time.

"Let's talk about something else. How are you and your parents- err, you, your father and your step-mother getting along?"

As soon as I said it, I regretted it. Family was always a touchy subject for us. It had always been an unwritten code that none of mentioned the 'f' word between the three of us. I didn't poke into their business after their mother died, and they gave me the same courtesy.

"Sorry, Sora, I-"

"No, it's okay. Everything's the same. Just like it used to be. What about you and your mom?"

"Same. Nothing's changed. At least, not there. It's like… it's like we're strangers, living in the same house. We don't really see much of each other, but that's okay. It's exactly the same. So, why isn't mister perfect student council president in class and joining his mopey little childhood playmate who's sulking outside her classroom?"

"I'm not in class because my dad asked me to take something to him." He gestured to the file in his hand. "And sometimes, I need a little mopeyness to bring me back to reality. Besides, I'd be a bad friend if I didn't do something."

It was cheesy, but it was also Sora, so I took that as it was. And it did make me feel better.

And _friend_. The word was so foreign to me. I always figured our 'friendship' was out of childhood ties more than anything.

"I'm glad you're my friend." I said quietly, barely loud enough to hear. He nodded, and got up.

"I should get going. But Akane? You don't have to do anything you're not ready for. If you don't want to confront Najika and Daichi about anything yet, don't. Take it at your own pace."

"Right. You too, Sora."

"And tell your teacher I called you out, so you don't get into any trouble."

I nodded and he smiled back before heading around the corner.

"Thank you, Sora." I said to no one as I stood up and fixed my ponytail before walking inside the classroom.

"Sorry, sensei, the student council president called me out. I can get a note from him later if you want it." I said, bowing. I had walked in at a good time- I could see that the lesson was already on the board and every one was working on the homework.

"No, that's all right, Kishida-san. Just take your seat." He nodded.

I turned around and I saw Najika and Daichi purposely avoiding each other's eyes. It wasn't like an argument avoidance though. It almost felt like they were a new couple on their first date. I felt myself smile despite myself and plopped myself at my desk.

"Good morning, Najika. Good morning, Daichi."


	4. Sora: Definitely a Masochist

**A/N: **Gah. Have I mentioned how much I dislike writing in Sora's perspective?

The OOC Sora seems OOC even to my conception of him for this story.

Strawberries and Milk

_Sora_

There are days where I wonder if I'm a masochist.

Why do I think that, you ask? Well, you already know my life story- how the girl I love is in love with my broter, who's in love with the girl whose in love with me. To make things more complicated, I decided to volunteer to tutor Akane and Najika in French.

It wasn't really a conscious thing… I was walking by their class to deliver forms to someone in their class, and she and Najika were talking to their teacher about it. It surprised me a bit, Akane having trouble with French, since she's been studying it for a long time because of her dreams of modeling in Paris.

I didn't even really think about my answer. It just… fell out.

"Why are you following us, Daichi?" I asked, spotting a figure with dark hair out of the corner of my eye. I could feel both Najika and Akane, who were walking slightly behind me jump a bit as my brother turned a faint pink.

"I… we… I came to… to… I'm just coming, okay!"

He was so predictable.

"Fine, be my guest." I shrugged as I kept walking. Daichi, no longer needing an excuse to walk behind us, walked so he was on Akane's right side, pushing her into the middle of him and Najika. She looked back and forth at the both of them, looking as awkward as the two on either side of her felt. She shot me a hesitant look before walking quicker to catch up with me, not saying a word.

"So then, three teas and one strawberry milk then?" I asked as everyone dropped their things in the living room. Akane looked up at me, slightly confused, but gave me a nod all the same as she opened her bag. I walked over to the kitchen and put water in the kettle.

"Sora-senpai." Najika motioned her way over to me. "Shall I help you with the drinks?"

I laughed a little at that. I didn't think I was _that_ bad at cooking. "I can boil water, Najika-chan. And you're my guest, none the less. You can go back to the living room. I'll be out in a bit."

"Sora? I'm home." A voice from the door called as I heard keys rattling the lock. Daichi froze, not sure how to bolt for it. The door opened and my step-mom walked in, setting her purse on the hanger before looking up and spotting Daichi. If anything crossed her mind, she didn't say it.

"Oh, Akane-chan, it's good to see you." She smiled politely as Akane stood up and made a little bow in return. "You're as pretty as ever. And you must be Kazami-san, Sora's talked about you."

"He has?" She blushed.

Step-mom shot me a knowing glance before turning back to Najika and nodding.

"Yup, he has. And how are you, Daichi-san?"

Daichi was having a staring contest with the floor and determinedly did not answer her. His hands was shaking, something every one in the room noticed and step-mom, realizing it was still a lost cause, made her way towards the stairs.

"Akane-chan, Kazami-san, Daichi-san, the three of you make yourselves at home, all right?" She said before disappearing at the top. Daichi shoved his things into his bag, shooting me a glare, as if the confrontation were my fault before storming out the door. Akane made a hesitant move to follow him, but Najika was the one who made any sort of progress.

"I don't know my way back to the dorms." She said apologetically. "Sorry, Sora-senpai, Akane."

She left too and it was just me and Akane left. Akane sat back on the floor, looking back at her work. I peered over her shoulder and saw her neat cursive across the page, in if not perfect, extremely passable French.

"Akane, est-ce que vous avez besoin d'aide dans la classe de francais?" I asked. She flushed a little, shaking her head.

"Najika was nervous about asking the teacher." She muttered under her breath. "So I told her I needed help too, so she wouldn't feel as weird about it."

"You're so selfless, Akane."

She looked up at me, eyes blank. "If I was selfless, I'd be able to get past Daichi. I know he likes her, and I think somewhere, she likes him back, but I keep on forcing myself to be the third wheel because I still like him. Sometimes I wish I could just cut out the part of my heart that loves him and move on, you know?"


End file.
